Aeht Dom
The 'Aeht Dom ' (Common tongue for 'ruling council') is the name given to the network of central and regional legislative bodies that determine law and order in Grevalon, in the Aeon of the Champion ''story series. The council network is divided into two parts, making it bicarmeral: the upper house, known as the Council of Arcanists (led by the Seven) and the lower house, known as the Council of Commons. It also serves as an indexer and catalogue of all the world's magical artefacts/spells, as well as a leader of cutting-edge techmaturgy and research. Membership '''Aeht Dom High Council/Council of Seven: '''7 '''Council of Arcanists: '''77 '''Council of Commons: '''77 '''Total: '''154 (excluding The Seven), 161 (including The Seven) Pre-foundation From its foundation in -1,349 following the formal dissolution of Anthromor, Grevalon was ruled by a small class of elite wizards who governed the city-state with their knowledge of the arcane and its powers. For nearly 200 years, a tentative peace lay over the land, with no major incidents regarding public order even in the midst of magophobia. However, such a situation could not last, and the ambition of the ruling class - known then as the Magelords - led to further exploitation of arcanum deposits lying in natural reserves across the state, wholly supported via the labour of the working classes who were bound to the land. In -1,158, a second arcanum reactor disaster affected Pierpoint in southern Grevalon. The event severely damaged the reputation of the Magelords as benevolent nobles, and the peasants started resenting them as opportunistic parasites. This eventually led to the division of the gentry, and many workers began to organise as concerned citizens against magic. In -1,157, the Secretary-General of the Nightstand Guard, Marlon Darkwill, brought the activist group's presence into Grevalon, and its activities fueled the rise of magophobia in the previously-harmonious state. Many peasants joined the movement, in an effort to topple the system from within: by any means necessary. The presence of the Guard led to a schism within the anti-magic movement: although many saw it as a legitimate protest group, many more saw it as an opportunity to push back against perceived restrictive laws, and thus joined the Night Raid parties as bandits and rogues. The founders of the original movement in Grevalon became marginalised within their own group, appalled by the lack of respect for due process shown by the Nightwatch. By late -1,157 there was a serious split in the movement, and Darkwill anathematised the other anti-magic activists in a full co-opt of the movement. In -1,156, the founders of the original movement formed their own group - the Protector's Covenant - and, after a lengthy decision-making process leading to eventual consensus, officially seceeded from the rest of Grevalon, forming what it called the 'Protectorate of Commoncrown', a society without magic, and where every person had a say in how the society was run. This was a revolutionary idea that infuriated the Magelords, and several armed enforcers from the city even came to demand that the new country be dissolved and immediately re-enter mainland Grevalon. Refusals to do so eventually led to a period of unofficial skirmishing between the two parties, which was inconclusive. The Grevalon High Council voted 21-4 to take military action, and thus began the civil war between the Protectorate and the Magelords. Between -1,155 and -1,150, bitter fighting emerged between the two sides, draped in their respective colours. At first, it seemed as if the rebels had the upper hand as the Magelords suffered a number of crucial setbacks, particularly as the Nightstand Guard spread chaos and confusion among their ranks. However, the tables turned by the middle of the war, and the Protectorate was defeated. With the country now re-admitted to Grevalon, its leaders scattered. Most of them faded into the shadows, joining the Nightstand Guard, but a handful remained stubbornly loyal to the cause, and formed the Houblon Resistance after the town in which they gathered. Scattered after the Siege of Houblon in -1,150, the rebel leaders dispersed themselves into the state and began conducting guerrilla attacks in a desperate attempt to hold out against the state. By the the end of -1,150, the few rebel leaders remaining had been captured and the Resistance defeated. All living rebel leaders were charged by the Magelords with treason, high treason, rebellion, incitement to rebellion, among other criminal/property-related charges. The sentence was execution, though it was not in vain: their revolution did spark a change in thought in Grevalon, and eventually, the Magelords realised they needed to improve their public relations. This led to a major shift in the organisation of the state: in -1,149 the Magelord caste was broken up and re-ordered into the 154-member Council of Arcanists, headed by a high council of Grevalon's seven best/most senior magi. In -1,148, this was followed by the creation of the Deposits and Laboratories. In -1,147, magic schools started being built for the first time since -4,000 making arcane arts more accessible. By -1,146 the total number was seven, and the Magic Aptitude Test was reformed with the ''merited ''grade removed. -1,145 was a major year of change, which led to Grevalon becoming a principality as the position of Prince/Princess consort was established as Head of State, intended to serve as a PR front while the wizards did the governing. Successive campaigning saw the creation of the Council of Commons in -1,144, where 77 non-magic members of the nobility took their seats (while the Council of Arcanists was slashed to 77 members as well, taking the combined total to what it was before the reform - 154, plus the Seven, making 161). Administrative divisions Council of Arcanists Grevalon's foremost mage-talents and magic scholars sit on the Council of Arcanists, a group of 77 supremely gifted intellectuals who help organise the world's magic in many different ways. Its Histories division indexes and catalogues the world's spells and magical artefacts in massive library-museums known as Deposits, structures that are rarely - if ever - open to the public. Rather, they are sealed away, disguised by attractive-looking fronts that betray nothing as to what lurks behind the intricately-designed walls. Such libraries are usually only open to magi-apprenta, studying magic at one of Grevalon's esteemed magic schools. Millions of spells and primary artefacts from bygone eras are stored in these Deposits, and there are seven of them in the entire country. Just as Histories organises and keeps records of the past, the Research division of the Council of Arcanists is responsible for driving Grevalon towards the future, by conducting high-level experimentation into alternative sources of production, including techmaturgy (a marriage of tech and magic), and even different types of magic. These experiments are not uncontroversial, as arcanum reactor plants similar to Scyther have been set up around the Laboratories the Aeht Dom controls. Proponents say safety controls have improved since -4,000, but opponents - particularly the Nightstand Guard still criticise the plants as reckless and dangerous. Council of Seven ''Main article: Council of Seven The High Council of the Council of Arcanists, and of all the Aeht Dom, is the Council of Seven (also known as The Seven). Of the 77 members of the Arcanists, these 7 are elite magi - 'archmagi '- selected to lead the city-state of Grevalon politically, socially and economically. Council of Commons Non-magical persons also have representation on the governing body. Following the ''Representation of the People ''Act -1,144, the Commons was created, and is also comprised of 77 members. The wealthiest nobles and landowners occupy places on the Council of Commons, providing a counterweight to the arcane nature of the Arcanists. It also provides a buffer against revolutionary tendencies, as the peasantry are less likely to revolt if they feel their concerns may be listened to in the future. This has been paned by some magi intellectuals as contradictory, as the Commons members are chosen based on status while Arcanists members are chosen based on merit. It is the more visible and accessible of the two Aeht Dom arms, as local government is frequently advertised and provides a platform for those who are not inclined towards control over mana (arcane magic) to make their views known. It is still the lower house of the Aeht Dom, and requires the consent of the Arcanists to pass bills, though its significant influence makes it hard to ignore. Like the Council of Arcanists, the 7 most powerful lords and ladies of the city-state serve on its high council. Trivia *The Grand Archmage - leader of The Seven - is Head of Government in Grevalon. *The Aeht Dom has been criticised as excessively bureaucratic; the various departments are seen as being symptomatic of obsession with order and perfection, not designed with mortals in mind. In addition, the confusing nature of many of the names of these government departments is not helpful. *Its structure is inspired by British and Canadian parliament, though it does not have any overt political parties (informal 'caucuses' between like-minded members, however, aren't uncommon). *Its logo referes Udjat, an Egyptian symbol. Political satirists, including proponents of an independent Commoncrown, have pejoratively referred to it as a symbol of extreme government surveillance, in the form of Mageguard. Category:Aeon of the Champion articles Category:Aeon of the Champion organisations Category:Government organizations Category:Organizations Category:Smurf Manian's articles Category:People with socio-political power